Microsoft’s 2026 end-of-support wave includes Windows 11 24H2, Office 2021, and more

Microsoft plans to end support for several products in 2026, and the list of those products also includes Windows 11 24H2. In fact, Windows 11 will be five years old this year, and we might soon start hearing about the company’s future plans (I’ll have more on that later). Other products losing support include Office 2021 for Windows and macOS.

Windows 11 24H2 support ends in October 2026

Windows 11 24H2 shipped on October 1, 2024, as one of the biggest and buggiest upgrades, and it’s now almost a year and a half old at this point. In November 2025, Microsoft ended support for Windows 11 23H2, and now version 24H2 will follow the same suit.

According to the support document, Windows 11 24H2 support is set to end on October 4, 2026. After that day, Microsoft says it’ll stop releasing security updates or bug fixes for version 24H2, and you’ll be forced to install Windows 11 25H2.

I don’t think you should wait until October 2026 for Windows 11 2025 Update. And I am saying it because I’ve been using version 25H2 across dozens of my PCs.

Windows 11 25H2 is an enablement package, and it’s based on the same platform release as version 24H2. So nothing really changes when you upgrade from one release to another, as the underlying codebase is still Windows 11 24H2. You’ll still have the new Start menu, new battery icons, etc.

Microsoft has already confirmed that it’ll begin force-upgrading Windows 11 24H2 PCs to version 25H2 in the coming days.

Windows 11 SE support ends in October 2026

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 24H2 is the last supported version for Windows 11 SE, which was a “streamlined” operating system for educational needs.

It was once supposed to be Microsoft’s answer to ChromeOS, but the product failed to gain traction among schools and students.

Now, Windows 11 SE will get its last update in Octboer 2026.

Windows 11 23H2 23H2 Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise support ends in November 2026

Windows 11 23H2 support for consumers (Home and Pro) already ceased in November of 2025, but if you have the Enterprise edition installed, your Windows version is still supported.

However, starting November 10, 2026, Microsoft will no longer release updates for Windows 11 23H2 Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise.

Office 2021 support ends in October 2026

This year also marks the end of support for Office 2021, which has been succeeded by Office 2024.

Office 2021 launched on October 5, 2021, and its support will end on October 13, 2026, exactly five years after the release. As per the support documents seen by Windows Latest, Microsoft also confirmed that it will end support for Office LTSC 2021 and Office LTSC 2021 for Mac on October 13, 2026.

This means you have approximately 10 months to decide whether you prefer Office 2024 (standalone license) or Microsoft 365 (subscription-based, billed monthly or annually).

Can I upgrade to Office 2024 from Office 2021 when support ends in October 2026?

You can’t just “upgrade” from Office 2021 to Office 2024 because the two are separate apps and products. You need to purchase an Office 2024 license after support for Office 2021 ends because the latter will stop getting updates. Of course, Office 2021 does not support working after October 13, 2026, but it won’t get critical updates.

Or you can go for Microsoft 365 subscriptions. But if you dislike the Microsoft 365 subscription approach, you can purchase Office 2024, which is supported until October 9, 2029.

Windows Latest found the full list of products losing support in 2026.

Full list of Microsoft products losing support this year (2026):

• .NET 9: support ends on November 10, 2026. After this date, .NET 9 stops getting security fixes and updates. If you are a developer, you will need to upgrade your apps to .NET 10 (LTS) (supported longer) or move to another supported LTS release. (Microsoft Learn)
• .NET 8 (LTS): support ends on November 10, 2026.
• PowerShell 7.4 (LTS): support ends on November 10, 2026.
• Windows Server 2012 / 2012 R2: ESU Year 3 ends on October 13, 2026. After Oct 13, 2026, there are no more ESU security updates for Server 2012/2012 R2. And you will need to upgrade to a newer Windows Server version.

Microsoft has a long track record of killing products, but at the same time, it’s pretty good with backward compatibility and extended or longer support for products. Each year, some of the company’s products lose official support, and Microsoft starts encouraging customers to upgrade. 2026 is no exception.

Which of the soon-to-be-retired Microsoft products do you still use?

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